A Conversation with  Allison Moorer  (continued)

PM: You're Alabaman. Where did Butch grow up?

AM: He grew up in Oklahoma City.

PM: So where do your tastes--please don't mind me going on and on about him--

AM: No, it's okay. It's fun for me to talk about him because I think a lot of times maybe people don't understand what a big part he does play in my music. It's just something we agreed to do together.

PM: And to me it's fascinating. My brother and I played together a lot of my life, but that's very different from doing it with one's spouse or one's girlfriend--I've never really been there, and so I'm interested in it.

AM: Yeah. Were you about to ask what do we like?

PM: Well, what music do you like that's different? Where do your tastes in music or books or movies diverge? Like, well, "He likes Kung Fu movies, but I can't go there," or--

AM: Right. Musically, I would have to say that I'm a little bit more open to current stuff. And that's not to say that he's not, because we both like to shake our ass to "Hey Ya!"

PM: Oh, right. Got ya.

AM: Most of the time we're pretty in tune with either it's good or it sucks. But sometimes I'll like something that he won't be into as much, but I can't think of anything specific.

PM: Do you go more harder or more poppy than he goes sometimes?

AM: No.

PM: No. It's more specific than that. Just a given band or a given thing.

AM: Yeah.

PM: What about books? Do you guys like the same kind of books?

AM: Normally we do. We're both pretty deep into some political books at the moment, given our current situation. We both try to find out as much as we can and be informed. And it's so hard to get any accurate information--you kind of have to go digging.

PM: Right.

AM: So we've both been into reading like--I think the one sitting on my nightstand right now is called Worse Than Watergate.

PM: What's that about, Worse Than Watergate?

AM: It's about the war that's going on right now. [Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush by John W. Dean] It looks into the secretive government of the current administration, and it's one of those where you just go, "Okay, we're f**ked."

PM: Yeah.

AM: As if we didn't know that already. [laughs] So I've been reading a lot about it. He has too. I think, actually, he's reading the Da Vinci Code right now. And we do the thing where when he gets done with one, he'll pass it to me, and vice versa. But I actually just read a David Sedaris book. And I guess he's very popular right now. I think I'm behind with his books, because I didn't realize he was so popular. But it was really good. I can't remember the name of it now.

PM: Did you happen to hear him on NPR this week talking to Terry Gross?

AM: Was he on Fresh Air?

PM: Holy shit, was he funny!

AM: He's just hysterical. I flew through the book in about two days. I loved it. So now I've got to go get all the rest of them. And I've been telling Butch that he needs to read it because he would love it. We both love Charles Bukowski. Wait a minute, what is the name of this book? It's called Me Talk Pretty One Day.

PM: Ah, Me Talk Pretty One Day, yeah.

AM: It was really, really good, and really funny.

PM: Yeah. He was talking about his new book, which I think is called Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. And he was funnier than hell, I must say.  continue

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